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Naples, Italy
Shore Excursion and Port Review
A Naples Overview

Nancy Norris

We awoke early anticipating a full day of exploration and discoveries. On my last visit to Naples I had visited Pompeii, so on this trip I had negotiated for a van, at a very reasonable rate, to take a group of us to Herculaneum. Both were buried during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Although smaller than Pompeii, Herculaneum, located 9 miles south-east of Naples, is much more well-preserved. Once the summer resort of wealthy Romans, Herculaneum offers a unique glimpse into their decadent and lavish past. I must say, I was much more impressed with my visit to Herculaneum than to its counterpart Pompeii. One of the unique aspects of the site is its attempt to restore the gardens and landscape to its original configurations, making this a truly authentic and memorable experience. We were fortunate to be the very first visitors to the site that day and virtually had the entire complex to ourselves for the first hour of our visit. Wandering within the confines of this excavation site, it was evident that luxury and a life of privilege were greatly valued by the inhabitants. We spent 2 hours exploring and could have easily spent an entire day, but our need to accomplish all of our sightseeing goals forced us to move forward.

Our van and driver was waiting at the entrance for us to continue our journey to Sorrento, another 25 miles east. We were able to take a brief sojourn around the city, stop for some great photo ops and still connect with the 12:55 express ferry for our 20 minute journey to Capri. Once arriving in Capri, we took a funicular to the Piazza Umberto, the Main Square and courtyard of Capri. Here the Clock Tower, which may have once been a bell tower of an old cathedral regally presides. Shopping and dining are the high points of this top tourist attraction. Although prices were a bit steep for shopping, particularly with the present value of US currency, I can highly recommend a dining experience extraordinaire. Verginiello, at Via Lo Palazzo was exceptional. This ristorante-pizzeria is located in the second of the main squares of Capri and offers a wonderful view overlooking the bay.

Much too soon it was time to return via jet express to return to the Millennium for our 7:00 pm departure. The Naples area offers one of the truly outstanding scenic settings in the Mediterranean and on my next journey to this region I plan to traverse the beautiful Amalfi Coast.

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